1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a weapon safety locking apparatus for portable firearms such as pistols, rifles and shotguns. The apparatus is easily placed into the weapon and is convenient to use in the field to help prevent the weapon from being loaded and to help prevent unauthorized firing of the weapon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current weapons security is generally limited to placing weapons out of a child's reach, locking the weapon in a gun cabinet or drawer and separating the bolt and ammunition from the rest of the weapon. Several safety devices have been disclosed showing various inserts and locks to prevent insertion of a live round. None of these provided a simple, easy to use means to prevent unauthorized use of the weapon that is easily adaptable to most portable firearms without requiring the user to carry a number of adapters to accommodate the various firearms at hand in the field.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,081 to J. M. Huckabee on Sept. 18, 1956 describes a gun barrel sealing device with a plug that fits into the chamber, a rod and a cap that fits over the end of the barrel. The rod can only be removed from the barrel, once in place, by a special spanner wrench.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,807 to C. L. Santangelo on May 26,1959 shows a firearm locking device consisting of a locking rod with an eccentric cam end that rotates and locks within a cartridge-shaped insert placed within the chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,957 to B. W. Ingalls on June 23, 1964 shows a device consisting of a flexible coated cable with a lock at one end and a tip at the other end designed to fit into the chamber of a specific firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,476 to George Hetrick on Jan. 30, 1979 describes a safety device having a metallic rotatable cartridge plug, a telescopic rod threaded into a plug and a cap on the end of the plug larger than the bore of the gun. The rod can only be removed by pulling while simultaneously turning the rod to unthread it from the plug.